What is the pixel pitch of the Canon 70D?

The Canon EOS 70D provides 20 megapixels from an APS-C sensor. This pixel density gives rise to a size of the individual pixel of 4.11µm.

The pixel size or pixel pitch can be calculated by dividing the sensor area by the pixel count and then taking the square root. In particular, the sensor in the Canon 70D measures 22.5mm in width and 15.0mm in height, so that the total imaging area of the sensor amounts to 338 mm². Moreover, the 70D has 5 472 horizontal pixels and 3 648 vertical pixels, for a total of 20 megapixels. Then, the size (height or width) of each individual pixel can be calculated as the square root of the ratio of the sensor area (338 mm²) to the MP count (19 961 856).

Larger pixels provide advantages with respect to gathering light, particularly in low-light situations. Large pixels notably have a better signal to noise ratio, meaning that they can better differentiate between incoming photons and the noisy signals that the internal processes of the camera create. As a result, big pixels are particularly helpful to the photographer when shooting with high ISO settings.

Sensor specs and performance

The table below compares the sensor specs of the Canon 70D to those of several similar cameras. The reported DXO values are indicators of the sensor's imaging quality (higher is better), covering color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape), and high-ISO noise (DXO Sports). Larger sensor cameras tend to outperform cameras of the same generation that are equipped with a smaller imager. On the other hand, larger sensors are more expensive and require bigger and heavier lenses than smaller light receptors.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon 70D	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	22.5	11.6	926	68
2.		Canon 80D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.2	1135	79
3.		Canon G3 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	521	63
4.		Canon 7D II	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.4	11.8	1082	70
5.		Canon T5	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.9	11.3	724	63
6.		Canon 6D	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.8	12.1	2340	82
7.		Canon 60D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.5	813	66
8.		Canon 7D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	854	66
9.		Canon 50D	APS-C	15.1	4752	3168	none	21.8	11.4	696	63
10.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
11.		Sony RX10	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	22.9	12.6	474	69

Further information on the sensor in the Canon 70D and the camera's operation can be found in the camera manual.

In the United States, the 70D was initially launched in July 2013 at a price of $1,199.

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Camera to camera comparisons

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